Duane l



(No Model.)

D. L. RICE. MUSIC DESK FOR PIANOS.

0 "l w w 3% J mm s T 0 0 w J M j E d e t n e t a P UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DUANE L. RICE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WV. WV. KIMBALL COMPANY,OF SAME PLACE.

MUSIC-DESK FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,655, dated August 5, 1890. Application filed April 28, 1890. Serial No. 349,775. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DUANE L. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook, and State of Illinois,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Music-Desks for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of the music-desks in that class of pianos in IO which a curved fall-board is used. IVith the ordinary construction of these desks, the shelf or horizontally-projecting portion of the desk forms an obstacle to the turning back of the fall-board while the desk is closed-that is to say, the lid is not permitted to fall clear'back against the front of the case, but is held in an advanced position by the shelf of the desk, so that it is liable to fall over and close the instrument when such result is not desired; and, moreover, when in this position it does not fall far enough back to give the player a feeling of security that it will not tip over onto his hands. The result of this peculiarity is that the music-desk is pulled out and the fallboard tipped over behind. it whenever the piano is to be used, whether the player is making any use of the music-desk or not. To obviate this objection to the prevailing construction, I have devised my present improveport of the' desk separate from the desk and suspend it therefrom by means of supports which will permit it to be pushed inwardly and out of the way of the fall-board when the desk is closed, and which will also permit it to be moved forward the re uisite distance to support the music when t e desk is open and in use. These features of my improvement are fully described below and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a partial vertical section of a piano embodying my improvement, showing both the desk and the fall=board in the closed position. Fig. 2 is a like view showing both the fall-board and the desk open. Fig. 3 is a back elevation of the desk.

In said drawings, A represents the keys of the instrument covered by the fall board B,

nient, in which I make the shelf or music-sup-' which is hinged at b. This fall-board is curved and extends from the hinge to the front of the key-board, as shown.

C is the music-desk, forming, as is customary, a panel or section of the front of the upright portion of the instrument. It swings on pivots c.

D is the music shelf or support. Instead of making this part rigid with the desk, as in the customary construction, I make it separate therefrom and suspend it upon the ends of the wire loop E, which is pivoted in the Go blocks 6, attached to the back of the desk at some distance above the bottom thereof.

f f are stays intended to limit the backward swing of the loop E. Bythus providing the shelf D with swinging supports I am enabled, when the desk is closed, to push the shelf backward into the instrument, as shown at Fig. 1, so that it will not interfere with the fall-board when the latter is opened against it. At the same time, when the music-desk is to be used, the swinging supports of the shelf allow it to project forward, as shown at Fig. 2, in suitable position to hold the music. The pressure of the desk against the edge of the fall-board, when the parts are opened, as in Fig. 2, insures the forward projection of the shelf by reason of the contact of the fallboard with the wire support E.

The lower ends of the loop E, I cover with rubber, in order that there may be no vibration thereof during playing, and no injury to the fall-board, such coveringformin g a cushion between the loop, the fall-board, and the back of the music-desk.

My invention permits the fall-board to lie against the front of the case whether the music-desk is open. or not, and there is thus no necessity for opening the desk when it is not needed to hold the music.

I claim- 9 1. The swinging music-desk provided with a shelf suspended from the desk by a swinging support which is located at the back of the latter and allows the shelf to swing independently, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the swinging music-desk and the movable shelf, of the wire the fall-board to position the shelfwhen both loop pivoted to the desk at e and movably supdesk and board are open, substantially as set porting the shelf, substantially as set forth. forth.

8. The combination, with the curved fall- DUANE L. RICE. 5 board, of the swinging music-desk, the mov- Witnesses:

able shelf for said desk, and the loop E, sup- H. M. MUNDAY,

porting the shelf, said loop being actuated by LEW. E. CURTIS. 

